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Hubby and I are pretty fit for a couple of old geezers and we'd like to dump our Wal-Mart piece-of-junk rides and buy bikes that we can count on.
We'd be on pavement only, level and hilly, much more interested at this stage of life in being comfortable than proving anything. We hate all those gears and complicated repairs.
Is there a moderately priced cruiser bike brand that's nothing fancy but very reliable, with a good reputation so we can start racking up those miles in relative comfort for our exercise?
Target sells a pretty decent line of schwinn bikes. Nice part is you can save a little by buying it there, then take it to the local bike shop to have the rims trued and you have a very nice riding bike for less.
This may be on the pricey, complicated catagory but in my opnion a bicycle style to look into, the recumbent bicycle. My wife and I have them.
She has a problem with her back where riding a standard upright bike is not comfortable, the longest distance is about 2 miles max then take a break. With the recumbent she is able to ride in comfort for long distances. 5-6 miles and longer, we stop frequently now because we have a dog that we take with us on our biking excusions.
It all depends on a personal interests, I will always recommend a recumbent. Comfort, distance, speed. When we are finished from a ride we hardly feel like we were riding a bike.
Target sells a pretty decent line of schwinn bikes. Nice part is you can save a little by buying it there, then take it to the local bike shop to have the rims trued and you have a very nice riding bike for less.
Sorry the say this but ALL Schwinn bikes sold in big box stores are chinese junk with Schwinn's name. Schwinn's sold at bike dealers are much better quality bikes by far since all are high line quality materials.
Hubby and I are pretty fit for a couple of old geezers and we'd like to dump our Wal-Mart piece-of-junk rides and buy bikes that we can count on.
We'd be on pavement only, level and hilly, much more interested at this stage of life in being comfortable than proving anything. We hate all those gears and complicated repairs.
Is there a moderately priced cruiser bike brand that's nothing fancy but very reliable, with a good reputation so we can start racking up those miles in relative comfort for our exercise?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Unless where you ride is board flat you will need a few gears to keep it fun. That said, Look for bikes with an "internal hub" gearing to keep it fun and fairly hassle free.
Oh yes, one very important fact that few know when buying a bike........pick the correct frame size for your inseam. FORGET THAT THE SEAT ADJUST WHEN YOU DO THIS OR YOU MAY PICK THE WRONG FRAME!!!!!!!
As to what bike brands to choose......
The very best advice on bike selection anyone can give you is to suggest that you visit a bike shop to buy your bikes 'cause you'll get the help you need from pro's who know bikes.
Sorry the say this but ALL Schwinn bikes sold in big box stores are chinese junk with Schwinn's name. Schwinn's sold at bike dealers are much better quality bikes by far since all are high line quality materials.
So for a recreational rider, a $250.00 schwinn from target with a good tuneup is that much worse than a $600.00 schwinn from a bike store? I have had box store bikes that held up to me as a teenager, it was my high end BMX bike that didnt....
I have been looking at replacement bikes. I had a Mongoose with front and rear suspension, looked cool but I do not ride like that anymore. I have a Specialized Rockhopper with front suspension but still too much bike, this bike has a frame a bit too large for me anyway.
So I have had them up for sale, sold the Mongoose - no buyers for the Specialized yet. I was looking at a original 1955 Schwinn Phantom. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/Cruiser_bike1.jpg/400px-Cruiser_bike1.jpg (broken link)
I have decided instead to get a Electra, maybe a delivery model they have a nice front and rear rack.
http://www.harborcountrybike.com/v/vspfiles/photos/144147-2.jpg (broken link)
I worked on the building for Schwinn out in Rancho Cucamonga, CA 30 years ago, I installed all the doors there. I see no references to that building, I assume it was just to unload train boxcars of bikes as it was next to the tracks.
I heard Schwinn filed bankruptcy 10 years ago, Pacific Cycle bought the company in the bankruptcy, ironically on Sept 11, 2001. Wiki does quote there is a higher quality line built for bicycle shops than big box stores.
Thanks for the good advice and tips so far! The Electra Townie is definitely on my list to check out when we go to Tacoma next week and can stop by the R.E.I. store there. (I understand you can only purchase them through R.E.I., whatever...)
How about the Kona Africabike 3? Anyone heard of this? Check out this excerpt from a British review site:
"So what's it like? well, as you might expect for a bike designed to handle the unmade roads of sub-Saharan Africa, it's sturdy. The frame is a step-through design in plain gauge Cromoly, the fork Kona's excellent and dependable P2. Bolted (literally) to that are hardy 26" wheels sporting excellent Conti 1.75" rubber and a Nexus three speed transmission – the bike is also available as a singlespeed."
(Some nice pictures on that site, too.)
Best price I found for the Kona around here is $399.
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and we'd like to dump our Wal-Mart piece-of-junk rides and buy bikes that we can count on.
